NORTH CAROLINA -- High school football season in the Southeast is underway.

Rivals National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman was on the sidelines for several marquee games featuring several of North Carolina's top recruits in the 2025, 2026 and 2027 classes. Included in that group are several blue-chippers, including players committed to Tennessee, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, among others.

Here are eight takeaways from the live in-person evaluations:

David Sanders Jr. continued his senior season at Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day with a showdown against a rotation of Power 4-bound defensive linemen. Sanders, a sculpted 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, stood tall to the test and then some. He anticipates well in pass pro and strong enough to withstand power rushes and agile enough to dispel speed rushers off the edge. Sanders is light on his feet and plays with fantastic leverage. He thrived blocking out in space and clearing paths in the run game in motion. The five-star OT saw spot duty on defense from a two-point stance setting the edge in the run game and also pressuring the quarterback. Sanders was one of the best in-person evals from a left tackle in recent memory.

Faizon Brandon opened his junior season at Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley. The five-star Tennessee QB commit was surgical orchestrating his offense up and down the field (15-of-20 for 117 yards). Brandon was stellar converting pivotal downs-and-distances throughout the evening. He uses unique arm angles to slice up defenses. Brandon is consistently accurate and often composed, and he delivered a few passes downfield that could’ve been massive gains or touchdowns if not for drops. Brandon also leans on his 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame to move the sticks on short down-and-distances both between the tackles and racing full steam ahead to the sideline.

The future Vol has elements of Trevor Lawrence to his game -- evidenced by unique arm angles and on-point ball placement. Brandon is built to handle a workload behind center and stepped up in key moments. He came through on several big third- and fourth-down conversations coming up with big throws, timely runs, and smart decisions over the course of the contest. We liked what we saw from Brandon leading this offense in Week 1.

2026 Matthews (N.C.) Weddington High four-star DE Aiden Harris is a pressure cooker up front and proved as much against a touted Providence Day offensive line. Harrison, who lined up off the edge and also inside over the guard, has an explosive first step and generated consistent pressure while also beating double-teams. Harris accounted for three sacks and applied even more heat on the quarterback winning with speed, power and persistent motor playing downhill with excellent hand usage.

Ohio State holds a commitment from Harris' teammate, four-star DE Trajen Odom, and is trending in the right direction with Harris as well. More on that here ... The Buckeyes also lead the way with another 2026 blue-chipper Zavion Griffin-Haynes from Rolesville (N.C.) High. Larry Johnson is working feverishly to build quite the pipeline out of Carolina.

Kendre Harrison is just more than two weeks into getting acclimated into the Providence Day offense. Seeing action at tight end and also snaps at defensive end, Harrison is distinguishing himself into a class of his own at the tight end position in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

The two-sport standout was dynamic winning outside the numbers as well as attacking vertically down the seam. Harrison was able to work in the middle of the field and extend plays with yardage after the catch and offers legitimate difference-making talent in the passing game. His size, catch radius, ball skills, and knack for turning in explosive plays affirm Harrison as the No. 1 tight end in the Rivals250. His physicality, unique makeup, and athletic profile are further proof of his upside as an offensive playmaker. North Carolina is a team to watch with the multi-sport star.

Four-star DE Bryce Davis flipped his commitment from Clemson to Duke after kicking off his senior season at Grimsley High on Friday. Like Harrison, Davis is a two-sport standout with plus-athletic traits in a broad, filled-out 6-foot-5, 265-pound frame. Davis is bouncy and fires off the ball, a twitchy mover and fluid moving around in pursuit. The Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor offense ran several designed runs away from Davis and also countered his impact with double-teams on bootlegs. The Rivals250 DE brook loose in the second half showcasing his superb short-area burst and is hard to contain when he gains a full head of steam.

Davis has a ton of intriguing traits and production picked up as the game went on. He's a player that we could envision becoming absolutely unblockable off the edge in a few years.

Four-star linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. covered a ton of real estate manning the middle of the Weddington defense as a hybrid linebacker working inside and off the ball. Davis constantly puts himself around the ball and flies around the field. Davis came up with pressure from the second level of the unit and also dropped back into coverage with a pass defended in action. We love his three-down ability and versatile skill set for the position. Notre Dame is a team buzzing right now with Davis.

Four-star CB Camdin Portis worked as a nickel in the Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park defense. Playing down by the line of scrimmage, Portis was outstanding covering sideline to sideline making plays down and around the line of scrimmage at a high clip. Portis is someone we've seen shine in coverage and his prowess to defend the run with such authority is another promising attribute for the defensive back. Miami just hosted the legacy recruit last month.

Four-star SAF JaDon Blair was a jack of all trades for Mount Tabor on offense and defense. The Notre Dame verbal saw action at wide receiver and is a massive target in the passing game at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds capable of getting downfield and also working underneath and in the middle of the field. Blair has added weight to his frame as his senior season gets underway.

At safety, Blair came up with a couple of big hits freelancing from the center-field role. He comes downhill in a hurry and is a sound tackler capable of playing multiple spots at different levels of the defense. He made his presence felt around the front seven, too. Blair's combination of physicality, athleticism, and awareness were all on display. We love the traits and the impact the Notre Dame commit has on the game in so many different capacities

Four-star wide receiver Shamarius Peterkin provided the big-play spark to the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor offense. Peterkin saw action playing both wide receiver and cornerback and thrived working downfield at receiver. The Virginia Tech verbal provided a vertical threat for his team. He can get downfield in a hurry and separated with ease. Peterkins showcased the ball skills and sure hands battling for the football in the air. He’s well put-together at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds and provides a vertical jolt to the offense.

Rivals250 DE Rodney Dunham had a handful of big plays firing off the edge of the Myers Park defensive front. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Dunham has distinct traits that offer a glimpse into his upside. Dunham exploded for a tackle for loss on third-down and broke loose for several pressures and quarterback hits in his opener. We like the length, the get-off and the splash plays from a premium position from Dunham.

Three-star Charlotte (N.C.) Independence linebacker Dallas Brandon was an eye-catcher in the middle of the defense. The rangy 6-foot-2, 205-plus-pound defender covers a ton of real estate and constantly finds himself around the football. Brannon was excellent in pursuit patrolling from sideline to sideline and battling through blockers, and also came up with several pressures off the edge for this front seven, too. Brannon has length and speed and is massively productive at his position.